Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
CBS Sports
Clemson vs. Georgia prediction, odds, line, start time: 2024 college football picks, best bets from top expert
By CBS Sports Staff,
7 hours ago
Brett Davis / USA TODAY Sports
The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 14 Clemson Tigers are set to square off in the 2024 Aflac Kickoff game on Saturday in Atlanta. Georgia is coming off a 13-1 season in 2023, but was left out of the College Football Playoff field. The Bulldogs, who have won two of the last three national championships, are led by Heisman Trophy front-runner Carson Beck . The Tiger are looking to build off a 9-4 record in 2023, and are expected to be among the top contenders in the ACC. Clemson returns a potentially dominant defense, led by All-American linebacker Barrett Carter .
Kaylor is an NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years.
Kaylor destroyed the books in college football in 2023, netting a whopping 57.9 units while posting a 107-45-2 record. Anyone who followed his picks finished the season way up.
Georgia returns 16 starters from a team that narrowly missed out on making a third-straight trip to the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs have to replace five players that were taken in the first and second rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, but they do return quarterback Carson Beck, who enters the season as the Heisman Trophy front-runner. Beck completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023.
This "neutral site" game in Atlanta is essentially a home game for Georgia. The Bulldogs will once again have an elite defense with NFL prospects all over the field. Safety Malaki Starks was a consensus All-American in 2023 and looks destined to be an early round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Georgia will also be elite up front on the defensive side, with edge rusher Mykel Williams having the ability to single-handedly alter games. See which team to pick here .
Why Clemson can cover
Clemson saw its 12-year streak of posting double-digit wins come to an end in 2023. The Tigers did post a respectable 9-4 record last year, and enter the 2024 season with high expectations. Dabo Swinney returns a total of 10 starters from his 2023 team (eight on offense, two on defense), and he has several highly-regarded players ready to step into prominent roles.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik gained valuable experience in 2023, and was at his best down the stretch. Despite having to replace nine starters, the Tigers' biggest strength may be on defense. Linebacker Barrett Carter surprised many when he opted to return to Death Valley for another season, and may be the best defensive player in the ACC. See which team to pick here .
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0